Speed ratchet wrench



Oct. 28. 1924.

J. H. BEALE ET AL 5 FEED RATCHET WRENCH Filed Nov. 6, 1923 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 28 1924.

J. H. BEALE ET AL SPEED RATCHET WRENCH Filed NOV. 6, 1923 2 sheetssheet- 2 Patented Get. 28, 1924. i

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JOHN H. BEALE AND LEO KINCH, 0F EUGENE, OREGON.

PATENT comes.

srnnn' Karo na" WRENCH.

Application filed November 6, 1923. Serial No. 673,176.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN H. BEALE, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Eugene, in the county of Lane and State of Oregon, and LnoKINoH, a citizen of the United Stat-es, and resident of. Eugene, in thecounty ofLane and Sta-te of Oregon, have invented certain new and usefulIn1- provements in Speed Ratchet Wrenches, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to the type of An object of the invention is toprovide such a device which can be rapidly'rotated by pressure on thehandle, but when it becomes diflicult to turn the driven part, can beturned by a pawl and ratchet mechanism operated by aseparate handle orlever;

Another object of the invention is to so arrange the parts that therapid rotation may be ineitherdirection as desired or in which thefpartsmay be set to prevent rela tive rotation of the spindle and sleeve.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide means whereby the levermay actuate the pawl and ratchet mechanism to turn the spindle of thedevice in either direction as desired.

Other objects will be apparent from the" following detailed descriptionand appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation with parts in section ofthe wrench.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of a portion of the sleeve with parts insection- Figure 3 is a side view of the sleeve with portions'in section.

Figure 4c is a view of thepawl and ratchet mechanism with leverforoperating the same, the spindle and sleeve being:

shown in section. s

Figure 5 is a View at right angles to'that of Figure 4. a r

Figure 6 is a detached view of a portion of the spindle with the ratchetthereon.

Figure 7 is a view of the finger piece which is set to determine thedirection of rotation of the spindle. 1

Figure 8 is aperspective View of the internally threaded nuts whichcooperate with the spiral grooves in the spindle and the pawls forholding either or both nuts against rotation on the spindle. c

A spindle 1 is provided with two spiral grooves 2 and 3 for right andleft hand rotation thereof. At one end a hand piece 4 of any suitableform is secured to the spindle by a set screw 5 or in any other desiredmanner. At the other end is carried a detachable and interchangeablesocket 6 in the followingmanner. Near its end in one'side thereof thespindle 1' has a cavity 7 in which is retained a ball'8 pressed,outwardly by a spring 9. The socket, 6 slips overthe outer end ofthesp-indleand abuts against I a collar 10 thereon at which timethe ball 8is pressed outwardly into a depression in the inner wall of the socket.This will prevent any accidental removal of the socket but willpermit itto be readily detached when it is'desiredfto substituteone of difierentsize o'r'form; Obviously the outer end or" the spindle 1 will be,angular in form and the engaging. portion, of the socket similarlyshaped to prevent relative rotation between the parts.

. Fitting onthe spindle are two ratchet members 11' and 12, each havinga sleeve like portion 18 provided, with an internal rib or thread 1 1adapted'to engage one or the other of the grooves 2 and 3. ,,One of thethreads 14: :is right hand and the other leftl ,hand so that the spindlemay be rotated in one direction or the other according. to which rachetmember is'held -stationary.-

These members 11 and 12 alsoha-ve teeth 15 and 16 respectively which areadapted to be engaged by awls as hereinafter set forth.

surrounds the spindle, and the enlarged portion is-provided with anopening 19. The enlarged :portion 18 encloses the ratchet members 11 and12 and the pawls 20 and 21 whi'chare adapted to cooperate therewith. Theform of these pawls is clearly shown in Figures 2 and 8, and they have abroad end 22 remote from the teeth 15 and 16 which bearssuch a relationto the enlarged portion 18 of the sleeve that there can be no relativemovement of rotation between the pawls and the sleeve- The broad end 22of each pawl A sleeve 1 having an enlarged portion 18 iii adapted torest on the sleeve like portions 13 oftheratchet members. Each pawl hasa smaller end 23 overlying the ratchet teeth 15 or 16 and adapted to bepressed into engagement with the same.

Within the sleeve and overlying the pawls is an operating member 24shown in Figure 7 which has a plate portion 25 slidable within thesleeve, a bowed spring on the un der side thereof which rests on thepawls'at its ends, and a finger piece 26 which projects through theopening 19 in the enlarged portion 18 of the sleeve. Notches may beprovided in the edge of this opening as shown in Figure 2 to cooperatewith a projection on the member 2% if desired to hold it in ad justedposition. i r 7 When the member 24 is pushed to the left in Figures 2and 8, the end 27 of the sprii'ig will bear down on the broad end of thepawl 20 liftingthe small end 23 t ereof out of engagement with theratchet teeth 15. At thesa'm'e time the end 28 of the spring will beardownon the small end 23 of the pawl 21 and force it into engagement withthe teeth '16. .This will lock the ratchet member 12 against rotationrelative to the sleeve 17.

If therefore the spindle is pushed endwise by pressure on the handle 4and the sleeve is held a 'ainst turnin the soindle will be rotated bythe engagement of the rib 1 1v with its cooperating groove in thespindle. If the member 2 1- is pushed to the opposite extreme of itsmovement, justthe reverse operation will take place and the ratchetmember 11 will be held againstrotation, and an end- 7 wise movement ofthe spindle will result the sleeve is threaded internally as at 29 and Vin its" rotation in the opposite direction. If

however, the member 2% is moved to central or intermediate position, thespring will engage both pawls in a manner to press the small ends 23thereof into the two ratchets 15 and 16, locking both ratchet members 11and 12 and preventing any endwise 1novement of the spindle relative tothe sleeve.

The open end of the enlarged portion of a threaded nut 30 is adapted toscrew thereinto hold the ratchet and pawl members in assembled relation.

For the purpose of holding the sleeve against'turning when the spindleis rotated rapidly, and also for turning the sleeve and spindle whenthey are locked together, the

"following mechanism is provided. The outside of the sleeve 1'? 1sangular 111 form, for

examsle hexagonal. and a short sleeve or l. 7 in 1 collar 31 fitsslidably thereover but is not rotatable thereon. This sleeve has aratchet 32 and alever or handle 33 has an opening which fits rotatablyover the sleeve 31, the

edge of the sleeve being turned over as shown;

and limit the moveniient of the V spindle and sleeve.

of the form shown in Figure i having down:

turned ends 41 to engage the handle member -1 in either direction. Thismember 40 carriesa stud member 41 through which the spring 38 passes,which stud is adapted to engage either of two notches 42 in the handleto hold the parts against accidental displacement. When the parts. arein the position shown in Figure 4, a movement of the lever 33 will causethe pawl 36 to turn the ratchet 32 and consequently the sleeve 17whenrotated inone direction, but not in the other, the pawl teeth beingso formed with relation to the ratchet teeth that they will slip overthe ratchet on the reverse movement. the sleeve in the oppositedirection the switch member 40 is moved to its other extreme to hold thedetent. 41' in en a' ement with the corresponding depression. 7

l then it is desired to turn the spindlerapidl-y, the linger piece 24 isset to cause right or left hand-rotationas desired by engagement withthe proper one of the ratchet If it is desired to rotate It will benoted that members 11 or'12. The handle 33 is em-q ployed to hold thesleeve 17 against rotation and pressure on the handle 4 will move thespindle endwise relative to the spindle and rotate the latter rapidly.When more force is desired than can be readily obtained in:

this manner, the finger piece 24 is set to lock both pawlsi-n engagementwith the ratchet members 11 and 12 and therefore prevent any relativeangular movement between the :handle' It will be therefore seen that wehave provided a ratchet wrench or similar tool capa- Me of rapidoperation ineither direction when there is a relatively small resistanceto the turning movement, or can. be usedffor.

slower operation with great power when lngh resistance is encountered.It will be obvious that various details may be changed and some featuresof the invention used alone ortogether with varied forms of devices, andtherefore the invention is to be The pawl 35 is set for vents itsrelative rotation with'respect tothe sleeve, and a narrow end whlchengages the regarded as limited only by the scope of the appendedclaims.

We claim as our invention:

1. A ratchet wrench or similar tool comprising a spindle having rightand left hand spiral grooves thereon, a sleeve surrounding said spindleand having an enlarged portion,

two short sleeve like members each having an internal rib to engage oneor the other of,

said grooves and each having a ratchet, two pawls Within the enlargedportion of the sleeve, each having a broad endwhich prewhereby relativelongitudinal movement of the sleeve and spindle will produce rotation ofthe latter or whereby the spindle and sleeve may be locked againstrelative rota-- 4 tion in either direction, a collar having a ratchetslidably but non-rotatably mounted on the sleeve, a lever orhandlerotatable on the collar, and ajpawl carried by the lever which engagesthe ratchet to turn the latter and thereby the spindle.

3. -A ratchet wrench or similar tool comprising a spindle,.a sleevethereon, means whereby the sleeve and spindle may be locked to rotatetogether in either direction at any desired longitudinal position of thesame, a collar slidably but non-rotatably mounted on the sleeve,a'ratchet on saidcolla a lever or handle rotatable on said collar, adouble pawl mounted on said lever, and means for holding eithertooth ofthe pawl in engagement withthe ratchet.

In testim'onywhereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names. Y

JOHN H. BEALE. LEO KINoH. v

